Electric fixture



A. E. WIEDENHOEFT Aug. 25, 1936.

ELECTRIC FIXTURE Filed April 1, 1955 Patented Aug. 25, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC Arthur E. Wiedenho'eft, Chicago, 111.

Application April 1, 1933, Serial No. 663,980

7 Claims.

This invention relates in general to an electric fixture combining an ordinary filament lamp or display with an illuminating element comprising a gas filled tubing. 7

One of the important objects of the invention is in the provision of a lighting attachment which may be applied to existing electric fixtures by interposing a connection between the ordinary lighting fixture support and the lighting fixture, the connection including lighting elements which co-operate with the previously existing electric fixture to constitute a new and improved lighting fixture.

A further object of the invention is in the provision of a gas filled tubing attachment which may be applied to filament lighting fixtures already in use. V

A still further object of the invention is in the provision of a lighting fixture in which an existing filament lighting fixture can be modified by the addition of an adaptor inserted as a part of the existing equipment and including a lighting element requiring a different voltage receiving its current supply from the original lighting installation and without loss of any of the original lighting fixture.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the preferred construction being illus-- trated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, Fig. l is an elevation, and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a lighting fixture constructed in accordance with the invention;

and

Fig. 3 is a section as taken on the line 3-3 of F1 1.

%n many existing lighting fixtures, particularly of the display or advertising type, electric lamps of the filament type are still used and in order to modernize, vary, or make the display more attractive, it is desirable to add lighting elements of the now popular gas filled tubing, usually comprising an attractive colored light. 'lo scrap or dispense entirely with the original lighting elements is neither desirable nor econom1c as the globe or bowl frequently has advertising matter thereon which it is desired to retain and make use of. The present invention therefore provides a construction which may be applied to the existing lighting equipment, varying and modifying it but still utilizing all of the original equipment. This is particularly desirable from a sales standpoint as a user will more favorably consider a modernizing attachment for his existing equipment more readily than the supplanting of his old equipment at a much larger cost.

(01. ale-11.4)

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the invention is explained in connection with a display or advertising fixture of the post type in which a large ornamental globe I preferably bearing certain advertising designation 2 or signs 5. 3 is supported at the top of a post having a fixture support 4 with an attaching collar 5 through which fastening screws 6 are inserted into engagement with the lower end or neck 1 of the globe I for holding it in place.

Within the post is a conduit tube 8 for electrical conductors at the top of which is a lamp socket 9 for receiving the threaded end of a filament lamp Ill.

The above construction is the known and previously used fixture to which the present invention is applied. This invention comprises an adaptor or connector H preferably of metal which is interposed between the top of the fixture support 4 and the neck 1 of the globe, the adaptor having a reduced portion l2 for connecting it in the collar 5 by means of the screws 6 and the upper end having a collar 83 with fastening screws l4 extending through it for engaging through it for engaging the neck I of the globe I. 5 H Within the adaptor l l is a central free space for allowing the conduit 8 and the socket 9 to pass freely therethrough and also there is sufiicient space at the side of conduit 8 to seat a transformer 15 which may be supported at the 0 inside of the adaptor shell by brackets l5a.

' When the adaptor is thus inserted the lamp l0 would not ordinarily be at the'proper height in the globe I and although it would be a comparatively simple matter to extend the conduit 8, a lamp socket adaptor I6 is preferably inserted in the socket 9 and the lamp I0 is inserted in the other end of this adaptor and at a suitable height in the globe. This adaptor I6 is also provided with a side outlet for a conductor plug ll which has conductors 18 leading to terminals ill of one winding of the transformer [5. Leading from terminals 20 of the other winding of the transformer are conductors 2| which extend into sockets 22 at one side of the adaptor H, the sockets opening at the outside of the adaptor.

A new lighting element consisting of a gas filled tubing 25 has terminals 26 adapted to be inserted in the sockets 22 and the intermediate portion of this tubing is preferably laid out in some attractive design such as a crown or a star 21 or any other attractive figure, letter, word or designation as commonly employed with gas filled tubing of this kind. To make the tubing more attractive, efiective, and decorative, a polished metal backing 28 also of the same design as that of the tubing is applied thereto directly under the tubing and it may be curved or angular in cross section as shown more clearly by Fig. 3. The tubing may be self-supporting or secured to the backing 28 and the backing is preferably supported by means of a standard 29 extending to the collar l3 and secured thereto by fastening screws 30. The lead-in portion of the tube 25 may also extend downwardly in front of the support 29 and this portion of the tube may be painted out to render it visible when illuminated, in accordance with well-known practice.

With this construction it is apparent that any desired form of tubing may be applied to an existing filament lamp, closely conforming to the shape of bowl thereof and appearing when installed as an integral part of the fixture. In fact, the globe may be of the inverted or suspended type with the attachment inserted between it and the suspending support, the gas filled tubing extending either upward or downward from the attachment and thus cooperating with and modifying the fixture.

The entire fixture is thus modified and brought up to date and if desired may be changed from time to time without excessive cost and without sacrificing any of the equipment already in use. Furthermore the adaptor may be installed and the changes necessary may be made by anyone without requiring any modification of the wiring or the services of an electrician or any skilled mechanic. It is obvious that the invention does not depend upon any particular design in the attachment or any particular form of bowl, lamp or tubing.

I claim:

1. An electric fixture comprising a filament lamp, a socket therefor, and a support; and a luminescent gas tube attachment therefor having a fitting insertable between the lamp and the socket for taking current for the attachment, a tubing lamp, and a transformer in the attachment connected between the fitting and the tubing lamp; the tubing lamp co-operating with the filament lamp and modifying illumination therefrom.

2. In an electric fixture, a filament lamp and socket, a globe surrounding the lamp, and a support for the socket and globe; a tubing lamp conforming to the globe and having conductors, a connector insertable between the globe and its support, and a transformer in the connector; the tubing lamp support being bodily insertable between the globe and the globe support, and the conductors receiving current from the socket through the transformer.

3. An attachment for an electric lamp, its surrounding globe and a support for the globe, said attachment comprising a connector securable to and between the globe and the lamp support, a transformer in the connector receiving its current from the current supply for the lamp, and a gas filled tubing lamp carried by the connector to extend outside the globe and conforming thereto and receiving its current supply from the transformer.

4. A luminescent gas filled tubing addition and connector for an electric fixture having a lamp, a globe therefor and a common support; said addition comprising a connector adapted to be interposed between the support and the globe, an illuminating electrified tubing lamp carried by the addition connector and adapted to fit closely against the globe of the electric fixture, and a transformer in the connector adapted to receive current from the said lamp supply and to supply it to the tubing lamp.

5. The combination with a display fixture comprising a globe, a lamp therein, a lamp socket and a current supply therefor, and a support for the globe; of an intermediate attachment interposed between the globe and the support and comprising a portion for attachment to the support and an opposite portion for supporting and attaching the globe, an extension socket interposed be tween the lamp socket and the lamp to raise the lamp within the globe corresponding to the height of the attachment, a transformer in the attachment and receiving current supply from the intermediate socket fitting, and a luminescent gas tubing lamp receiving current from the transformer extending laterally from the attachment and adapted to fit closely to and conforming to the surface of the globe for adding to and modifying the illumination of the lamp therein.

6. In an electric fixture, a globe, a lamp therein to illuminate the globe, a support for the globe, current supply means within the support, a luminescent gas tube extending outside of the support and adjacent the globe at the illuminated outside face thereof, the inner lamp and the outer tubing cooperating to illuminate the globe and each modifying the illumination of the other.

7. In an electric fixture, a globe, an inside lamp to illuminate the globe, a support for the globe, an external lighting element comprising a luminescent gas tube extending from and upheld by the support over the illuminated face of the globe, means for supplying current to the tubing and the lamp from within the support, a reflecting medium interposed between the tubing and the outside of the globe, the illumination from the lamp and from the tubing cooperating to illuminate the globe and said reflecting medium each modifying the other in producing a combined illuminating effect.

ARTHUR E. WIEDENHOEFT. I 

